We did it :)
The 2023-24 school year is wrapping up with finals week beginning on Monday and I'm beginning to taste the truth in statements like: "Wow, time flys!" & "Enjoy it while it lasts!". It feels as if every time I blink it is Saturday morning again. I blink again and it's Spring Break. I blink once more and we're having our end-of-the-year party.
In James it says, "Now listen, you who say, 'Today or tomorrow we will go to this or that city, spend a year there, carry on business and make money.' Why, you do not even know what will happen tomorrow. What is your life? You are a mist that appears for a little while and then vanishes..."
One of our Richland FOCUS pastors, Joey, got married a couple of weeks ago and during the wedding I ran into different former FOCUS students from 2-3 years ago. Some were from 6-7 years ago. There were even a few that were there during my time as a student (10 - 12 years ago)!
It sounds strange, but in my mind, they all sort of...coexist together in my memory as if they were from the same time period. I find myself interacting with a former student and introducing them to another former student saying: "Hey John, do you remember Chris?", as I gesture to Chris. Chris then gently informs me that he graduated last year and has no idea who John is, hah! John then says, "Sirak, I'm 37 and Chris is 23."
I am bewildered because, to me, they all should know one another. We all attended Friday Night FOCUS, core, were a part of 1-on-1 Bible studies and the like. Two different people. From two different eras/generations of ministry.
James continues: "Instead, you ought to say, 'If it is the Lord's will, we will live and do this or that.' As it is, you boast in your arrogant schemes. All such boasting is evil. If anyone, then, knows the good they ought to do and doesn't do it, it is sin for them."
Strange as it is to say, I am feeling the mist-ness of life with each year that passes. And as it mists before my very eyes - it also blends into itself. Years, friendships, experiences, camps, events, etc. begin to blend into one another as I feel led to dwell more into our Lord who holds all things together. I am pulled in to trust that even though my memory fails me, nothing is wasted in the Kingdom of God.
My prayer is that we can each say with our lives and day to day duties/responsibilities that we are seeking the Lord's will as we "...do this or that...".
Love you all & thank you for believing in me!
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| Our Richland FOCUS ministry partnered with a local church, First Global Methodist Church, to have an "intergenerational friendship" partnership! Our students were paired up with different people from their church and are spending time with one another to build a spiritual friendship across the generations! |
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| Our weekly "Exploring My Strange Bible" group. This group has been one of the highlights of my week. We have been reading 1 Corinthians together chapter by chapter and connecting with the themes that connect our ministry at Dallas College Richland Campus with the 1st century Church in Corinth! Loved it! |
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| One of our Richland Campus Pastors, Joey and Baby-Anaya! Love these two <3 |
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| Sandra (left) and Josh (right) w/ Baby Anaya at our friends wedding! Josh was a campus pastor with FOCUS 3 years ago and we miss him! |
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| Our Wednesday night FOCUS meetings have been such a blessing :) We're seeing new students every week and are excited for what this fall semester holds for us! There is a new building on campus that should open that we are excited to explore and consider reserving rooms in! |
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| See pic (and below) - the college was so generous to let us use the Richland gymnasium for a basketball/volleyball night! The students loved it and it was fun to play together! We're definitely going to do more fun events like this one! |
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| Our Richland FOCUS leaders (men)! Love these guys - and thankful for their commitment to loving and blessing the students in our ministry! |
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| Wednesday Night FOCUS ministry selfie! |
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| Our core had an end-of-the-year lunch together and it was encouraging to share & connect with one another! We went around in a circle to share: "who has been someone in this ministry that has shown the love of God to you?" it was very meaningful to get to hear from everyone. |
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| Our end-of-the-year party was awesome! The students had a blast and it was so meaningful to get to eat/karaoke/honor our leaders/and have our annual thunderduckee awards with one another! |
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| Jorge Sanchez and I have been studying the Bible together 1-on-1 these past three weeks and I'm so grateful that God has crossed our paths with one another. Please pray for depth and insight as he and I continue to build our friendship while also seek the Lord together! |
Thank you for your support & believing in the work we do - I could not be where I am without you!
As we go into this summer season - I wanted to ask: do you have any close relationships in your life with anyone that might be interested in hearing about what we do on campus? If so, I'd love to reach out to them to share about my heart for campus ministry and loving college students!
Your brother & campus missionary,
Sirak
